The Greatest Wizard Alive
by v.d.mouse
Summary: It's the final battle and Harry realises something that changes how he views his life and his place in Wizarding society. Sort of DH compliant but without the whole Harry is a Horcrux bit. One shot.


I do not own nor make any money off the characters of Harry Potter. They all belong to JK Rowling who was lucky enough to think of them first.

The Most Powerful Wizard

The battle had been raging for hours; Harry was swaying slightly from the exhaustion. Blood and dirt covered his clothing and he stank from the sweat that made his shirt stick to him uncomfortably and matted his hair to his along with the mixture of the blood and dirt in it.

Barely seven steps away from him Voldemort was in the same state, they both stood eyeing each other warily. The spells had stopped and for a brief moment, for the first time in both of their lifetimes they agreed with each other; a silent agreement to a short rest.

It gave Harry the chance to glance around him; it looked like the rest of the battlefield had come to a similar agreement and appeared to be at a temporary stop on both sides.

He saw the Malfoy's grouped together, clearly trying to remain aloof but just as clearly checking that each were unharmed.

Bellatrix LeStrange had several cuts showing amongst the dirt and grime that covered her ragged outfit, which looked even more ragged than usual and yet a look of a devoted pet adorned her face as she waited to be called forth by her master or to see who would dare challenger her next.

Several red heads dotted the battle field, all trying to get to each other to make sure the family still totalled nine.

Neville and Luna had their arms wrapped around each other and Harry was sure they were determined to never let each other go.

He spotted Snape helping a limping McGonagall towards the castle. It had been at the start of the battle when the man had shown his true loyalties, he was still a dark sarcastic man but he wasn't evil.

Finally Harry's eyes strayed back to the man before him and he couldn't help thinking of all that they had both gone through to get to this moment and suddenly he realised something, something that would change not just how he saw things but would change the view of the entire battle for everyone.

He couldn't stop the smile that started to grow, or the short chuckle that escaped him, it was a sound that had everyone there stop and look at him, many thinking that the exhaustion and strain of battle had finally caused his mind to snap.

It was Voldemort that broke the silence, "And just what is so funny Potter?"

"You" Harry snickered "You are because I just realised how stupid you are."

Voldemort eyes narrowed, "What" he hissed while around them everyone stood there stunned at what he had said, sure now that he had lost his mind.

"You proclaim that you are the greatest wizard alive" Harry said still chuckling.

"I am" Voldemort snapped.

Harry just shook his head at him and in a tone of voice that parents often used on small children when explaining the obvious said, "Voldemort, I'm seventeen."

Unlike Harry though no one else could see what was so obvious as to make his age so important or a matter to laugh about in the middle of a battle. "And just why should I care about your age Potter?" Voldemort sneered "I have killed many people of all ages, including children younger than that"

Harry rolled his eyes at the Evil wizard, "I know that, but you're not getting it, _I'm_ seventeen and I've just fought you to a standstill." He turned around on the spot taking in the sight of the whole battlefield and all the stunned and confused people that stood watching them. "I didn't even finish school, hell I wasn't even anywhere near the top of my classes and yet I've just fought you the one who is supposed to be the greatest wizard alive to a standstill"

As he turned, he saw more and more people who were starting to realise the same as him. Bellatrix screamed "You dare insult our Lord?"

"Oh shut up" Harry said exasperation in his voice, "You lost your mind a long time ago, we all know that so why would we listen to you."

Bellatrix blinked in surprise at being spoken to in such a manner only to switch to fury a second later but before she could retaliate Harry had now turned back to Voldemort, "When you were at school you opened the Chamber of Secrets and killed one student. Then got scared you would be found out so shut it and then worked to hide, to blend in with everyone else. I have never once hidden who I am." He took a step towards Voldemort "In my first year when I was only eleven, I faced a mountain troll, numerous obstacles created by some of the finest minds in our country and finally a possessed teacher and you in spirit"

He took another step forward, the only movement there as he carried on "In my second year I defeated a basilisk that was taller than the great hall, stopped another spirit you and destroyed a Horcrux."

A hissed growling sound emerged from Voldemort at that but Harry just ignored him and took a third step forward "Third year I got a year off from you but ended up taking on a hundred Dementors instead, and honestly I think I prefer fighting you any day compared to facing even one of them." Again he took a step forward getting closer and closer "Fourth year and not only do I have to face Dragons, Mer-people, Grindelows, and again an assortment of obstacles while traversing a maze, you are back on the menu and I end up duelling you again only this time you were a little more in this world and not the spirit world at last."

The while battlefield were hanging on his every word by now too entranced by his words to notice how close he was getting to the Dark Lord. "I hit fifth year and by now I should have realised that hoping for a quiet life was pointless, the only difference being that now all the crap started before I even got to school as I get attacked by two Dementors in Surrey, only to lead to a year of being tortured in detentions by a simpering toad, and kept in the dark about everything that would actually be a help to me knowing how to fight a war I had no choice of being kept out off despite what people hope or try to do. Culminating in finding out that not only am I hard-wired into the mind of a sick sadistic psychopath, but that he then uses that to make me make a mistake that ends up getting my godfather killed, something I add wouldn't have happened if people hadn't kept me in the dark but treated me with the respect that by that point I have really earned after my first couple of years at school and what I had faced."

Had he looked at anyone else he would have seen the looks of shame that graced a few faces at these last couple of comments but he didn't look he just kept up his stead one pace for every year.

"Sixth year and now things get a bit more informative as Dumbledore finally starts to tell me things, but is it anything helpful; oh no it just has to be the bloody life story of Tom Riddle. He couldn't just tell me what a Horcrux was and where you had hidden the ones you had made. No he had to do everything the long and cryptic way. And knowing that he was dying did he bother to tell me everything and what the best course of action would be. No he left me with nothing but vague hints"

One more step forward and he was now just one step away from Voldemort "And then this year, I have spent it being hunted while living in a tent, only to then have to come here to face you _again_, I've faced all of that and all you did was kill a student and your last surviving relatives which from what I saw in the memories, a first year could have done with no trouble."

At that moment Harry, in one smooth movement drew back him arm and punched Voldemort and it wasn't so much the strength but more the shock of it that caused Voldemort to drop from it and stare in a mixture of fury, surprise and disbelief at the young man that towered over him, a smirk still on his face.

"So I ask, with all that in mind, how exactly are you the greatest wizard alive?"

Before Voldemort could answer Harry took one more step, this time onto Voldemort's right arm, pining it to the ground before bending and snatching the wand from his hand, "So this is the Elder Wand, created by Death himself." Then to the horror of everyone he snapped it in half.

"Now that's gone I think it's time we finished this and with that he pointed his wand right between Voldemort's eyes and clearly said "Blood of my blood, magic you carry, return to me."

Cuts all over Voldemort's body opened up and blood began to flow and then started to spiral up towards Harry and began to enter into him though his eyes, mouth and nose as well as the several cuts and scrapes on his body, leaving Harry slightly oblivious to Voldemort' scream of pain as this occurred.

Once the flow had stopped Harry looked down at Voldemort who sat there panting slightly from the intense pain he had just endured, "You should know we destroyed the last of your Horcruxs and now that I have taken back the blood and magic you stole from me, there is pretty much nothing left to hold you together but what little magic Pettigrew but into that disgusting vessel you had before your re-birth ritual, and even that has faded to the point that in one hour it will be gone and with no magic to hold your body together you will be gone."

Bellatrix gave a scream at these words and launched herself at Harry to attack but a spell to her back had her stood frozen for a brief moment before she fell with the blood flowing from the now gaping hole in her back and then Neville's voice could be heard, "You will never take a member of my family from me again"

Neville stepped forward and lowered his wand as he gave Harry a single nod which Harry returned with a smile.

Looking back at Voldemort Harry gave a shrug and said simply "The night you came to our home and killed my parents you were no longer the greatest wizard alive, you may have been before that night, but at that moment you passed that title to me and I intend to use it and make some changes, changes I know you will hate but you know what, in an hour you won't be around to even care, enjoy death Tom, I'm sure there are a great many people waiting to have a nice chat with you."

With that Harry turned around and in a louder voice, that really wasn't needed considering he still had all of their attention stated, "Listen up I am now the greatest wizard alive and there are going to be some changes. First of all I want Amelia Bones to be the Minister. Secondly I want Truth Serum used in all trials, and finally anyone who thinks I will swallow any rubbish about doing death eater acts under the influence of Imperios had better be making plan to leave the country as you will be the first targets I aim for." He gave a final nod to them all before apperating away.

A/N ok so this was a quick little one shot that popped into my head late one night and would not let go. Didn't really have anything beyond where it ended so I'll leave it up to you guys on if any of the changes that Harry stated actually came about but knowing the Wizarding world they probably didn't


End file.
